Paperback, 478 pages
English language
Published June 11, 1975 by Mass Market Paperback.
A worldwide bestseller for over thirty years, Watership Down is one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey from their native Sandleford Warren, through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, and toward the dream of a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.
... The characters, the story, are familiar friends, so familiar despite the years since last read.
I did not remember, though, all the very particular, and unfamiliar, plants and descriptive landscape terms.
I had seen the movie years before, but did not remember it, so I was happy to have some vacation time to read this. It was tricky to read - Richard Adams prose can be thick and very British at times, and he seems to miss some character descriptions at times, but the story comes through just fine. I have to admit, I had problems putting it down for the last 100-150 pages - by that point, I was very engrossed and rooting for the heroes. Well worth the read.
After finishing "Watership Down" by Richard Adams, I immediately regretted that I did not read the book as a child. It is quite unlike anything that I have ever read. Adams found a way of making what is on the surface a very simple story which is deeply entertaining and though-provoking at the same time. Like the best children's literature, it can be read on multiple levels and does not shy away from the darker aspects of life and living.
Heavily influenced by Virgil's "Aeneid," the story follows a group of rabbits in rural England who escape from their warren when one has a premonition that their home is about to be destroyed. Adams describes the countryside in beautiful, well-drawn portraits that shows a deep love for the land. But what makes the novel stand out is the creation of a mythical world surrounding the rabbits, from language to culture …
After finishing "Watership Down" by Richard Adams, I immediately regretted that I did not read the book as a child. It is quite unlike anything that I have ever read. Adams found a way of making what is on the surface a very simple story which is deeply entertaining and though-provoking at the same time. Like the best children's literature, it can be read on multiple levels and does not shy away from the darker aspects of life and living.
Heavily influenced by Virgil's "Aeneid," the story follows a group of rabbits in rural England who escape from their warren when one has a premonition that their home is about to be destroyed. Adams describes the countryside in beautiful, well-drawn portraits that shows a deep love for the land. But what makes the novel stand out is the creation of a mythical world surrounding the rabbits, from language to culture to religion and legends.
"Watership Down" embodies the essential quality of influential world literature: the ability to create a highly-detailed world that can tell a universal story that resonates across cultures. It is the balancing of the quotidian and the universal that makes truly great literature. "Watership Down" is a beautifully-written novel that deserves its place as one of the 20th centuries best fantasies.
